Saturday, 27 February 2010

Skin MD Shielding Lotion Review and Discount

The premise behind shielding lotion is that everyday contact with cleansers and environmental pollutants strips away skin’s own protective layer leading to loss of moisture and an increased effect of irritants. Traditional creams temporarily add artificial moisture to the skin without treating the problem, this moisture can’t be retained so we have to keep applying more. The skin can then get used to the constant supply and stop producing it’s own oils so the problem only gets worse. However, shielding lotion is different as it restores the skin’s integrity, protective ability and urges it to be active thereby treating the cause of dry/ sensitive skin as well as its symptoms.

Shielding lotion is hypoallergenic, colour, fragrance, paraben free, and packed full of effective natural ingredients that make it suitable for all types of skin. Given that our skin is in contact with multiple irritants on a daily basis I really liked the idea of this lotion and was excited to try it out when given the opportunity a few months ago.

I thought it would be useful to include a full list of ingredients as those with sensitive and easily irritated skin would benefit from seeing exactly what it contains.

Aloe Vera has been used to treat skin problems including eczema and psoriasis for many years. I personally use Aloe Vera gel as after sun or on sunburn and it works much better than any cream I have ever tried! Studies show that Aloe Vera improves the skin's ability to hydrate itself, aids in the removal of dead skin cells and has an effective penetrating ability that helps transport healthy substances through the skin.

Arnica is used to heal wounds and prevent bruising and swelling (though in my experience it has never helped my healing). It also has a pain relieving effect, reduces inflammation and clears fungal and bacterial infections.

Yarrow and comfrey are both good at reducing inflammation, while chamomile softens and soothes the skin.

If you want to know exactly what each ingredient does and why it has been added the Skin MD Natural website is very detailed!

I have used this lotion on my face and body intermittently for about two months and I have to say that I really like it. Although my skin is not typically dry it is sensitive and easily irritated so I do get some very dry areas, such as my hands. This lotion is absolutely lovely to apply, the texture is between a lotion and a gel and it sinks in extremely quickly without leaving any residue. It is cooling and energizing, not in the same way as menthol infused lotions, but in a more subtle ‘I just had a refreshing, cool shower on a hot day’ way. Sorry I can’t explain it better!

It is recommended that you apply the lotion every couple of hours until the area appears healed, and then once or twice a day. I didn’t really stick with that as it’s hard to reapply lotion to dry knees on the tube in the middle of winter ;).

Although I would not say this lotion worked like a miracle, it did moisturise without being greasy and felt extremely soothing. Of course I can't comment on the barrier function of my skin being restored, but I hope that it was! I tried it on my bf’s eczema and though it didn’t get rid of it completely (maybe because he only used it for a few days) there was a marked difference in the reduction of dryness, redness and irritation. I also used it after shaving and unlike other ‘sensitive’ creams it soothed the area without further irritation, stinging or itching. It gave the skin on my face a semi-matte finish and was a good base for applying makeup unlike most creams for dry/ sensitive skin, which tend to be greasy causing my foundation to slide off extremely quickly.

Overall, I think this cream is a great find for those with sensitive, dry and problem skin. I like the way it can be used on any skin type and state, by which I mean that you can use it on eczema, rashes etc. while most moisturisers are not recommended for use on ‘broken’ skin. The only slight negative for me is the price. For $18/£12 you get a small bottle of 120ml. This is perfectly reasonable if the lotion is to be used predominantly on the face or hands. However, as an all over body lotion, even though a little goes a long way, for me it would only last one or two weeks.

I mentioned to the company that the price was my main concern and kindly they made a discount code for my followers. The discount code is FGM and it will give you 20% off when ordering from www.skinmdnatural.com

Have you ever tried a ‘shielding’ lotion as a substitute for normal moisturising creams? Do you have your own method of preventing and curing skin problems, dryness and irritation?